


Whoever Believes

by Omorka



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-22
Updated: 2012-07-22
Packaged: 2017-11-10 11:32:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/465802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omorka/pseuds/Omorka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Draco addresses a tavern crowd to explain the true meaning of Salazar Slytherin's heritage.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Whoever Believes

**Author's Note:**

> Meant to take place a few years after the end of Deathly Hallows. Loosely epilogue-compliant. Contains religious themes if you squint.

"The mistake that both my father and the Dark Lord made," Draco explained to the room at large, "was assuming that the Heir of Slytherin was a specific individual." He took a sip of something dark and bubbly from a tall glass, waiting.

Someone near the bar took the bait. "So, who do you think the Heir was?" asked an older witch with salt-and-pepper hair. "You?"

"Yes, but not _just_ me, of course," Draco agreed. "Salazar Slytherin's legacy wasn't an object, or a creature, or a place, or a spell. His bequest was the House of Slytherin itself, its values and heritage. It was the Slytherin perspective on the wizarding world." He turned so that the balcony could hear him, too. "Every single wizard or witch sorted into House Slytherin is the Heir of Slytherin, and every one of us should act accordingly, with the Heir's dignity and pride."

A different voice, much deeper and rougher, objected, "But we're not all descended from Slytherin, those of us with some Muggle heritage anyway, and all the purebloods are probably his descendants in one way or another - not all of those are sorted into his house."

Draco shook his head. "You're still falling into the trap of seeing the Heir in a literal way," he said, half-soothing, half-scolding. "I'm saying that Heirship is open to anyone willing to take up that mantle, that it's an intellectual inheritance." He paused to take another long sip of his drink. "A _spiritual_ inheritance, if you will. You have to think like Slytherin to see it - do you imagine he was stuck in purely literal modes of thought?"

The witch at the bar retorted, "What if someone was sorted into another house, but sees your metaphorical heir-ship later on?"

"I see no reason," Draco purred, smiling, "why someone couldn't change later in life. It might not be quite as good as being a Slytherin from the beginning, but mistakes can always be repaired." He winked at the two couples at the round table in the corner. "The Sorting Hat understood that blood-purity was never meant to be a purely physical criterion; otherwise it would never have sorted halfbloods into the house," he continued. "Even a Muggle-born can be a pureblood at heart, if they choose the wizarding world over the Muggle world for good. It's not about your parentage; it's about where your loyalties lie." He set his glass down with a thump. "It's fundamentally about _values_. Anyone with the right values - they're the Heir of Slytherin." He folded his arms and sat down; immediately half the bar began edging over to his table, bubbling over with questions.

The four at the round table glanced at each other with varied looks of distaste. "Sounds creepy," Harry offered.

"It sounds awfully familiar to me," Hermione added.

Ron made a face. "Sounds like Draco's still having sour grapes over not being the Heir himself." Ginny nodded, and added, "You don't think he believes it?"

"That's the trouble," Hermione muttered. "It's actually more dangerous if he really does believe in it."

"At least he's saying the right things," Harry offered. "You know, about the whole pureblood thing."

"Only on the surface," Ginny pointed out. "That whole 'pureblood at heart' thing - he's still committed to seeing purebloods as best; he's just willing to let Muggle-borns in on the ground floor if they have the right values for his schemes."

"He still hasn't technically done anything wrong, though," Harry said, rubbing his chin. "We'll just have to keep an eye on him, I guess."

Draco stood, turned his chair around, and leaned on it as if it were a lectern. "Now," he said to the crowd, "you just have to understand that Slytherin wants the best for all of us . . . "


End file.
